Chapter 49

Li She seemed like a human-shaped fierce beast, and the Japanese soldiers surrounding him were like toys, being devastated by Li She. Cannons, machine guns, and armored vehicles, which had taken countless lives, seemed fragile and powerless in front of Li She.

Crouching on the wall, Hu Shuji and the other four were stunned as they watched the thin figure in the crowd of Japanese soldiers continuously reap lives. This was not a struggle of a cornered beast; it was a one-sided massacre. They had never imagined that human strength could be so powerful.

The slowly rotating turret on the armored vehicle could not accurately aim at Li She, and it fired continuously based on a vague trajectory. With a few loud explosions, the ground was strewn with Japanese corpses. Li She's mysterious figure left heavy afterimages on the road. The heavy machine gun's sweeping shots only hit the afterimages left by Li She.

The young lieutenant inside the armored vehicle was terrified by Li She's formidable combat power. How could this be a human? His unit was a company of elite Japanese soldiers, a mixed company with armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, and light machine guns. Although there were only eight hundred men, he was confident they could defeat a regiment of the Nationalist Party.

This mysterious man had wiped out a third of his forces in about ten minutes. Was this still a human?

The same question arose in the minds of Hu Shuji and the other four. They had originally thought about coming to help, hoping to save this skilled expert and persuade him to join the anti-Japanese forces. They never expected him to be so powerful.

They saw Li She leap close to the side of the armored vehicle, roar "Frost and Fire Palm," and strike the armor with great force. With a "bang," the five- to six-ton armored vehicle was flipped over, sliding a long distance before colliding with other armored vehicles and stopping.

The young lieutenant and several others inside the armored vehicle were killed by Li She's powerful palm strike.

"Zhaokemanhui, Wugou shuangxuemin. Yinan zhaobaima, satada ru liuxing. Shibu sha yiren, qianli buliu xing. Shiliao fu yiqu, shen cang shen yu ming. Xianguo xinling yin, tuojian xiquan heng. Jiangzhi dan zhuhai, chishang quan houying. Sanbei tu ran nuo, wuyue dao weiqing. Yanhua er re hou, yiqi su neisheng. Jiuzhao hui jin chui, Handan xian zhengjing. Qianqiu er zhuangshi, xuanhe daming cheng. Zongsi xia gexiang, bucan shangshang ying. Sheneng shu getaxia, bishou taixuan jing." As he killed with enthusiasm, Li She recited Li Bai's "The Knight-Errant." By the time he finished the last line, there was not a single living Japanese soldier among the eight hundred.

"Is this still a human?" Hu Shuji muttered.

Stained with the blood of eight hundred Japanese soldiers, Li She's killing intent surged, and the deafening killing aura echoed through the sky. His clothes fluttered without wind, and his cold eyes were like sharp blades. Li She felt that his killing intent had become even more profound, and a smile appeared on his lips. "Indeed, continuous killing can perfect one's killing intent. Haha, this is truly a good shortcut!" Li She thought. At that moment, he sensed several familiar auras approaching. Opening his eyes, he saw the people he had saved the night before.

The woman leading them timidly walked to Li She, while the four underground party members behind her were pale with fear, and two of them even vomited. The street was like a hellish scene, littered with severed limbs and entrails.

Li She said, "Why haven't you left? Are you from the Nationalist Party or the Communist Party?"

Hu Shuji, suppressing the urge to vomit, said calmly, "I am from the Chinese Communist Party, the person in charge of Shanhaiguan. With your skills, if you join us..."

Before he could finish, Li She interrupted, "Whether it's the Communist Party or the Nationalist Party, it doesn't matter to me. I just like doing what I like, like killing! It's just something I enjoy." With that, he turned and flew away.

Li She's words stunned the five. "Killing, just something he enjoys?" Hu Shuji muttered. Li She's handsome face and cold smile were deeply imprinted in their minds. His sinister smile suggested he was not joking. He really just enjoyed killing.

This small episode happened many times, with both the Nationalist Party and the Communist Party trying to recruit Li She. Anyone who had seen Li She's skills could not forget him and wanted to bring this powerful force to their side. The incident even caught the attention of the leaders of both parties. Li She's legend spread widely.

In the days that followed, Li She continued to slaughter Japanese soldiers as he pleased. The Japanese issued a bounty, and Li She did not disguise himself. Posters of his appearance were plastered everywhere. Dressed in a black suit, Li She earned the nickname "Black Killer."

Rumors spread that "Black Killer" was a skilled and charming martial artist, dressed in a black suit, who killed Japanese soldiers. This was good news for the Nationalist Party, which had suffered continuous defeats. Li She's unbridled and frenzied killing caught the Japanese off guard. In the past half year, Li She had killed nearly five thousand Japanese soldiers, not counting the puppet troops and collaborators.

In the presidential residence in Chongqing, Chiang Kai-shek, with a heavy Jiang-Zhe accent, asked Mao Renfeng, "Yunong, according to your intelligence, has this 'Black Killer's' martial arts really reached a divine level?"

"Report to the leader, according to the reports from our intelligence personnel and those who have encountered 'Black Killer,' his skills are indeed as legendary. If we include the puppet troops, he has slaughtered no less than ten thousand enemies in four months," Mao Renfeng said solemnly.

Chiang Kai-shek, hands behind his back, paced. In the era of full-scale resistance, all sorts of martial artists emerged, many like fleeting flowers. Even Wang Yaqiao, the leader of the Shanghai Axe Gang and the so-called "first killer in Asia," was severely injured recently. This "Black Killer" appeared suddenly, and the Japanese offered a bounty of 500,000 silver dollars for his life.

"One person can be worth a thousand troops. Such a talent is exactly what the party and the state need! But such a person is surely a proud and reclusive master. Yunong, we must show him the goodwill of the party and the state. We must provide him with all the help he needs. We must bring him to our side and not let the Zhu-Mao faction get him. Such a person is a terrifying double-edged sword," Chiang Kai-shek said softly.

Chiang Kai-shek then praised "Black Killer's" heroic deeds and awarded Li She, whom he had never met, the title of "National Hero" and the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun. Since the Japanese offered 500,000 silver dollars for Li She's life, Chiang Kai-shek announced in the newspapers that he would offer a bounty of one million silver dollars for the anti-Japanese hero "Black Killer."

At the same time, in Yan'an, Chairman Mao was reading the newspaper, holding a hand-rolled tobacco. The newspaper prominently featured Li She's glorious deeds, making him seem almost legendary. Chairman Mao smiled and asked the central leaders, including Zhu De, "What do you think of this 'Black Killer'?"

Zhu De, smoking, said, "He is a great hero, with divine martial arts. Full of passion! If such a person joined our ranks, our combat strength would increase exponentially!"

Chairman Mao joked, "We are so poor, and Chiang Kai-shek is offering a bounty of one million silver dollars. What can we offer to attract him? Hahaha."

At this, Zhou Enlai said, "I don't think so. Such a reclusive master cannot be swayed by money. Our comrades in the underground party in Shanhaiguan reported that 'Black Killer' is a very righteous person, with high martial arts and a proud spirit. He has saved several of our comrades! There is a good chance we can win him over."

The three leaders reached a consensus and instructed all underground party members to provide comprehensive assistance if they encountered "Black Killer." Now, the entire Japanese-occupied area was issuing a warrant for "Black Killer." As long as he needed to rest, eat, or sleep, they would provide him with all the necessary conveniences.

After spending the money Ye Wen had given him, Li She planned to find some temporary relief, but he unexpectedly began a journey of free food and drink. Wherever he went, there was free wine and meat. It was clear that there were two groups of people, both treating him respectfully, but their tones revealed their affiliations. The group that occasionally mentioned the leader's favor and high positions waiting for them was definitely the Nationalist Party. The group using emotional appeals was definitely the Communist Party, and among them was the Hu Shuji he had saved the first time.

Now, Li She was staying in a church in Tianjin, with the woman surnamed Hu by his side. This church was a secret base of the Communist Party in Tianjin, and Li She was brought here to rest. Looking at the crucifix, Li She thought, "Who created this divine order? God? Perhaps only God has the power to do so." Just as Li She was lost in thought, the French priest, with broken Chinese, said, "Child, no matter what sins you have committed, the Lord will forgive you. Especially since you are fighting for the freedom of your country."

Li She turned to look at the gray-haired priest, with Hu Xuemei standing beside him. He smiled disdainfully and said in perfect London English, "Father, what you say is truly laughable. Killing sends one to hell, especially when I have killed so many. Killing is killing, and there is nothing to forgive! I do not need anyone's forgiveness!"

Hearing Li She's perfect London English, the priest was stunned, and even Hu Xuemei, standing beside him, was surprised that Li She could speak English. She had always thought he was a reclusive master, but now she realized he was also well-versed in foreign languages.

"Oh, your English is excellent, with a strong London accent. If I closed my eyes, I would definitely think you were British," the priest admired.

The two chatted for a while, and then Li She walked straight to the old pipe organ in the church, tested the sound, and began to play. Beethoven's "Fate" was performed by Li She with a sense of killing intent, and the passionate music stirred people's blood.

Liu Xuemei, sent to indoctrinate Li She with the party's advanced ideas, couldn't help but observe this mysterious man. Skilled in martial arts, proud and arrogant, he unexpectedly spoke English and even played the piano. Who was he? One question after another arose in Liu Xuemei's mind.

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